Responsibilities Of Optometric Expert Witnesses In Michigan.

Background: Optometry is a profession in which a certain standard of care is required in
order to provide the most appropriate vision and ocular health examination. When an
optometrist is accused of not meeting this standard of care, an investigation may result.
The complaint can lead to either a review by the Bureau of Health Professions or a
malpractice case. Expert witnesses are often selected to provide their opinion on whether
the standard of care was met or if a violation of the Public Health Code occurred in such
cases as those involving misdiagnosis of ocular disease, incompetence, and/or
negligence. Methods: An online survey was created and sent to 766 Michigan optometrists inquiring about their experiences as expert witnesses and their knowledge of expert witness duties. Results: 184 Michigan optometrists responded to the survey, with 21 having been asked to carry out the duties of an expert witness. Only 6 of the 17 optometrists who accepted the invitation to become an expert witness knew of the duties required before becoming involved in the process, with the time commitment varying from 1-4 hours to over 15 hours. Of the 163 responding optometrists who have never been asked to be an expert witness, 24 said they would be interested in the future, 70 had no interest, and 57 remained undecided. Conclusions: Expert witnesses are called upon to provide their knowledge in the form of an experienced opinion. According to the survey, being an expert witness can be time consuming and slightly intimidating, resulting in the majority of optometrists having no desire to participate. However, with the proper knowledge of what an expert witness does, optometrists can provide valuable expertise in cases of alleged misconduct.